Published at Friday, April 13th, 2018 - 17:41:05 PM. Hockey Gear and Equipment. By Henrike Elvira.

Blocker. Proper blocker sizing will allow a goaltender to control the face of the blocker. This will lead to better rebound control and protection. Similar to fitting for a glove from the end of the finger channels to the tips of a goaltender's fingers there should be no more than 1/4 of an inch of space.

Checking is one of the most demanding skills in hockey and also one of the most overlooked by players coaches and fans. It is probably the least glamorous of all skills but one of the most important when it comes to defensive team play. Checking is a skill designed to aid in the recovery and possession of the puck. It should not be used to intimidate or injure an opponent.

SKATING SKILLS The foundation of goaltending is based on balance and edges. The better skater you are the better goaltender you will be. Before every practice and every game your warmup should consist of simple skating drills: T-pushes shuffles and slides. You use a T-push for long crease movements. Push with one leg turn and point your toe to where you want to go with the other. Push then glide on that blade to the area you want to be. Shuffles are for small positional adjustments moving side to side. It′s similar to a small side step. None of them needs to take long. It can be one set of 10 reps each and can take anywhere from two to 10 minutes. My NHL goalie routine consisted of the same skating drills every day. The letter drills are the most effective. Use them do them and become a better goalie.